We Partner with Leaders Who Are Ready to Close the Gap
The gap between where they are and where they need to be.
The gap between strategy and execution.
The gap between talented individuals and high-performing teams.
Partnered and Collaborated with Leading Organisations Globally
Built by Leaders Who've Actually Led
We started Leap because we saw a need: too many professionals who know leadership, not enough who've lived it.
We've made the hard calls, led through uncertainty, and carried real responsibility. Now we help other organisations do the same.
Our Story
Why LEAP Exists
LEAP was founded on a simple belief: leadership development shouldn't feel abstract or theoretical. It should be grounded in the real challenges leaders face every day.
Ghida and James brought together decades of international experience, from leading teams across continents to navigating organisational complexity across MENA, Europe and beyond. They built Leap to help organisations develop the leadership capability and systems they need to grow with confidence, working at the whole-system level to create lasting impact, and treating leadership as a craft, not a checklist.
Based in Dubai. Working globally. Focused on what actually changes outcomes.
What Drives Us
We Work Where It Matters First
Not on individuals in isolation. On leadership teams, organisational systems, and the invisible dynamics that drive or block performance.
We Build Competency & Mindset
Our success is measured by what you can do without us. We transfer methodology, embed new ways of working, and create sustainable change.
We Tell
the Truth
We deliver unsugarcoated findings. We name what's not working. We have the hard conversations others avoid. Because real change requires real clarity.
Ghida Barakat
Founder & Managing Director
Senior Leadership Consultant | Executive & Team Coach
Ghida Barakat is a certified executive and systemic coach, consultant, facilitator and assessor with more than 20 years of international experience. She has delivered over 3,500 hours of coaching across individuals, teams and organisational systems, shaping senior leaders and cultures throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
As an international faculty member and front-of-room leader at CRR Global, Ghida trains executives, coaches, psychologists and leaders in ORSC (Organisation and Relationship Systems Coaching) methodologies. She is also a faculty member at The Leadership Circle, where she previously served as Regional Director for MENA. Prior to founding LEAP, she held senior leadership roles including Group Customer Experience and Marketing Director at LSH.
Her background in business combined with deep psychological insight enables her to support leaders in transforming how they think, collaborate and operate. Ghida is particularly skilled in helping executives navigate uncertainty, complexity and multicultural environments, challenging them to expand their leadership capacity beyond personal agendas toward collective performance and sustainable impact.
She has worked with over 30 leading global organisations including Maersk, SAP, EY, Google, Mubadala, Abu Dhabi Government, NEOM, Abbott, FAB, ELM, Tadawul Group, Svitzer, Alshaya and more, bringing strategic clarity, grounded presence and a results-driven approach that enables organisations to evolve their structures, strengthen alignment and lead confidently in competitive markets.
Qualifications & Credentials
Academic Background
BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration)
MSc in Psychology & Neuroscience of Mental Health, King's College London
Coaching Credentials
ICF-accredited Master Certified Coach (MCC)
Certified in ORSCC (Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching)
Certified in CPCC (Co-Active Professional Coaching)
Graduate of the Co-Active Leadership Program, Barcelona
Assessment & Development Tools
Certified practitioner in Leadership Circle Profile (LCP)
Certified Practitioner in Collective Leadership Assessment (CLA)
Certified Practitioner in Leadership System
Certified practitioner in Insights Discovery
Certified in Pulse Assessment
Certified practitioner in DISC
Certified in Intercultural Intelligence
James Rammell
Partner
Strategy & Leadership Advisor | Organisational Transformation Consultant | Board Advisor
James Rammell is an executive leadership coach and business growth facilitator with more than 25 years of international experience, including 17 years across the Middle East and GCC. He has worked with CEOs and senior teams across diverse sectors, guiding them to strengthen leadership effectiveness while accelerating organisational performance.
At Alshaya Group, James led 100+ professionals across 14 countries, delivering $25M+ in measurable savings through integrated governance frameworks. He also established the Group Data Protection Office, ensuring compliance across 3,000+ retail locations and protecting a $6B+ regional operation. Currently, he serves as Fractional CRO for A8 Innovations, embedding risk and governance frameworks into early-stage ventures, and facilitates organisational transformation through the Bloom Growth Operating System to drive scalable, sustainable growth.
His approach brings structure, strategic thinking and practical discipline to leadership development. James supports executives in aligning strategy with execution by introducing systems and techniques that enable organisations to scale sustainably. His work has helped leadership teams double revenue, improve cross-functional collaboration and build cultures where people take ownership and lead with clarity.
With a calm presence and a results-oriented mindset, James challenges leaders to sharpen their decision-making, elevate accountability and operate with the cohesion required for growth. He delivers executive coaching and leadership development programmes across the Middle East and international markets, and is particularly skilled at helping senior teams translate ambition into action, turning strategic intent into measurable outcomes and resilient leadership cultures.
Qualifications & Credentials
Academic Background
MBA in Strategic Leadership & Innovation, Edinburgh Napier University
Coaching & Business Credentials
Certified Bloom Growth Coach & Business Consultant
Professional Executive and Leadership Development Coach
Governance & Risk
Specialist Member of the Institute of Risk Management (SIRM)
Our Extended Network
Beyond our core team, we work with a curated and trusted global network of MCC and PCC certified coaches, facilitators, and organizational development specialists.
This collaborative model allows us to tailor every engagement with the right skill set for each client’s needs.
Who We Serve
Industries:
Banking & Finance | Government | Technology | Telecom | Hospitality | Retail | Energy & Sustainability | Family Business | Scale-ups | Professional Services | Manufacturing | Transportation | Logistics & Aviation | Healthcare | Consumer goods | Education
Geographies:
Middle East & GCC (primary) | Europe | Asia | Global teams
LEAP’s Values in Action
Listening First
Every engagement starts by understanding your context, not applying templates.
How We Actually Work
Truth Over Comfort
Real change requires
real honesty.
Tailored, Not Templated
No cookie-cutter programmes. Every engagement is built around your specific context, challenges, and goals.
Systems and Individuals
We work at the individual, team, and organisational level because that's where performance actually lives.